Engine control system for actuator control

Abstract

An engine control system which may be used in automotive vehicles includes first correlation data representing correlations between performance parameters associated with different types of performances of a combustion engine and uncorrelated common factors existing among the performance parameters and second correlation data representing correlations between the common factors and combustion parameters associated with combustion states of fuel in the combustion engine. The engine control system determines target values of the common factors using the first correlation data and also determines target values of the combustion parameters using the second correlation data. The engine control system determines command values as a function of the target values of the combustion parameter and outputs them to actuators which control combustion states of fuel in the engine for achieving desired levels of the performances of the combustion engine. This enables the performance parameters to be controlled independently of each other without any interference.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An engine control apparatus comprising:
 a first storage which stores first correlation data representing correlations between a plurality of performance parameters associated with different types of performances of a combustion engine and uncorrelated common factors existing among the performance parameters; 
 a target common factor determining circuit which determines target values of the common factors based on target values of the performance parameters using the first correlation data stored in the first storage; 
 an actual common factor determiner which determines actual values of the common factors based on actual values of the performance parameters using the first correlation data stored in the first storage; 
 a common factor deviation determiner which determines a deviation between each of the target values of the common factors, as determined by the target common factor determining circuit, and a corresponding one of the actual values of the common factors, as determined by the actual common factor determiner; 
 a second storage which stores second correlation data representing correlations between the deviations of the common factors and a plurality of combustion parameters associated with combustion states of fuel in the combustion engine; 
 a target combustion parameter determining circuit which determines target values of the combustion parameters based on the deviations of the common factors, as derived by the common factor deviation determiner using the second correlation data stored in the second storage; and 
 a control command determining circuit which determines command values as a function of the target values of the combustion parameters, as determined by the target combustion parameter determining circuit, the command values being provided to actuators which work to control the combustion states of the fuel in the combustion engine for achieving desired levels of the performances of the combustion engine, the command values representing controlled parameters associated with operations of the actuators. 
 
     
     
       2. An engine control apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a third storage which stores third correlation data which defines correlations between the combustion parameters and the controlled parameters, and wherein the control command determining circuit uses the third correlation data to determine the command values based on the target values of the combustion parameters, as determined by the target combustion parameter determining circuit. 
     
     
       3. An engine control apparatus comprising:
 a first storage configured to store first correlation data representing correlations between a plurality of performance parameters associated with different types of performances of a combustion engine and uncorrelated common factors existing among the performance parameters; 
 a computer processor configured to:
 determine target values of the common factors based on target values of the performance parameters using the first correlation data stored in the first storage; 
 determine actual values of the common factors based on actual values of the performance parameters using the first correlation data stored in the first storage; 
 determine a deviation between each of the determined target values of the common factors and a corresponding one of the determined actual values of the common factors; 
 store, in a second storage, second correlation data representing correlations between the deviations of the common factors and a plurality of combustion parameters associated with combustion states of fuel in the combustion engine; 
 determine target values of the combustion parameters based on the deviations of the common factors, as derived using the second correlation data stored in the second storage; 
 determine command values as a function of the determined target values of the combustion parameters; and 
 provide the determined command values to actuators configured to control the combustion states of the fuel in the combustion engine for achieving desired levels of the performances of the combustion engine, the command values representing controlled parameters associated with operations of the actuators. 
 
 
     
     
       4. An engine control apparatus as set forth in  claim 3 , further comprising a third storage configured to store third correlation data which defines correlations between the combustion parameters and the controlled parameters, and wherein the third correlation data is used to determine the command values based on the target values of the combustion parameters.